Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-02-03
IN THE MIDDLE WEST,
A Story Of Life in the Great
Mississippi Valley.
BY AVA MILTON KERR.
lCoPYRIGHT. 1885. By THE A. N KELLOGG
NEWSPAPER CoMPANYI
CHAPTER UIv-ros-rHr-En

john Earring did not look up; his
eyes were Dent upon the face of ashes
before him. The end had come: the
millions and millions of seconds that
had ma,ie-ap- this man > life had
dropped away from it misspent until
now the last dark few were falling.
No words could compass il. No wind
ever breathed into the night a sign as
sad no rain-drop ever fell into the
darkness with sound so mOurnful. as
this thoughts flight into the mind.
John Earrings chin sank upon his
breast with it. the human ruin before
him stiifened, twitched. relaxed.
gasped with thlrst-toTmented mouth.
and lay still The chief, who with the
inst look had dispatched the nervous
private for doctor. said quietly: ats
no use. and John Earring walked out
into the night. weak and dizzy from
the scene of death.
CHAPTER XIV
4 hundred sharp feelings were twin
ing and turning about in John Ear
ling breast as he walked ont into the
street from the sevenfold darkness III at
had enveloped Ivyl Snaer. For the
moment he seemed bewildered bv the
flood of thought and emotion that
crushed IN upon him. The burden of
these revelations suddenly imposed
upon him seemed to numb his very
senses. He was going biindlv toward
Celeste: hlindly in that ne did not con-
slider why. or note theforces that i'm
PEELED him. The throbhing heart of
his inclination was an impulse. that
fairly cried out in its agony. to tell her
that the black information that had
fallen upon him had not changed him.
save TO make her dearer. She had
been sInned against. he thought. struck
with darkness, drove through hate and
love and murder most piteOuslv near
to him. 4 kind of anguish filed him
for her, love delicious fever with pity
burning in it. He felt. but did not
heed. in presence of this larger feeling.
his own transcendent wrongs. An,
even now. without knowing it she had
begun TO purge those wrongs away
through love. 10 blot out the black
foundation which her kinsman had
laid in blood with. TO him. a sweet and
binding atmosphere IF light
Suddenly he stopped: God in Heav-
en-. what was he thinking of? Was
he mad Why was he rushing,
as if gone daft with pity. to
load this Misunderstanding thing
upon the shoulders of TINS blame
less creature? Why not carry the hor-
ror himself? even # need be caught for
ever so close 20 his breast and held so
hard. should she ever lay her silken
head trustinglv there. = bitter heav-
enlv hour. she should not near it
/, III l., n
bin until. from want OF sorrow TO feed
upon. it fell into ashes and fOrgetful-
ness She should not bear IT, .'0hn'
he cried there in the lonely street
stretching MS hands up toward the
stars. keep her from it, God! She is
good. she is gentle, she is blameiess!
Let not this burden fall upon her, Let
me bear it. let me bear it.'
John Earring felt clearer for that
PRAYER. which seemed like sweat
wrung ont Of the very fabric of his spirit.
He turned back: why. if this secret
were opened 70 her might not its ap-
palling contents carry her from him?
Would she ever wish TO look him in the
face again. knowing that her kinsman
had been a murderer. and had done
him and his this gall-like and mex
pressible wrong? Nay, how could he
then ever look into her eyes. again.
knowing that his very presence must
bring her sorrow and shame? %.
Cod he cried again. keep it from
herl Let her innocent life remain I'M
clOudedi Leave her spirit. which
is clear and tranquil. still I'M
troubled! Let me bear 1t. let
me bear IT. He did not think Of the
land which had been left to ner. which
in truth was his. and which had been
so bitterly torn away from him. He
only saw the pain this fell knowledge
would bring to her. and the seeming dan
ger TO their love: love which. like life.
o ermounted all known values. He
would 90 away, if need be. that this
dark fact might never reach her heart:
he would remain apart and suffer. if it
came TO her. lest bis very face should
be pain and shame TO her. All! he
did not know the power of perfect
love: love that draws like turning
worlds! He did not know woman 5
soul. a slender woman 5 strength,
In moment he came TO head
quarters again. The windows were
open letting in the Iukewarm air, and
he paused irresolute. Inside he saw
uniformed mem berS of the night force
smoking and walking about. and the
chief. phthisicky physician. and the
picturesque private, entering from an
inner room. They went IN behind a
railing to a desk. the private all the
while being very lavish with his con-
glomerate. and the chief took up the
dead man sachel and opened it upon
the desk. There were some articles of
faded clothing, some packages of
medicine and minerals and a small
dagger in it. The private looked at
the dagger as if ne very much feared
it might Jump up and stab him. In a
side pocket they found some papers;
among them, tied together with twists
of gray hair. as if plucked from the
head in widest fantasy, was the deed
John Earrings father gave TO lvyi
Snaer in the long ago. and will be-
queathing the property to Celeste.
The chief read them in silence. but the
private sQuinted over his shoulder and
read aloud. John EARRING listened
with bated breath. All. God! then 1t
was truei it was true.
The private ceased reading ana
clawed the papers about on the desk;
they were mainly letters, prescriptions
and recipes in the Spanish. Indian.
Mexican and other South American
dialects. and the picturesque private,
looking hard at them. gasped: . Otg
snags ana sand-bars. wat wr1tln
Then he twisted his body around IN
one direction and twisted his face IN
the other, and worked his mouth ana
legs in a vain attempt to decipher It,
I